SI Rohitha Priyadarshana's Disappearance: A Batalanda Cover-Up Uncovered

COLOMBO(News 1st) - Information regarding several grave crimes, which were intended to be buried under the sands of time, is now being unveiled as the Batalanda Commission Report comes back into discussion.

The conversation about these serious crimes, which occurred between 1988 and 1990, resurfaced following questions posed to former President Ranil Wickremesinghe during an Al Jazeera Head to Head program.

This report, allegedly kept in a dark room at the President's Office, was recently presented in Parliament.

Today, we focus on several key decisions outlined in Chapter 9 of the Batalanda Commission Report.

Sub-Inspector of Police Rohitha Priyadarshana

Who was he?

Why is this officer significant?

In recent days, we have uncovered several shocking revelations from the Batalanda Commission Report.

The report pays particular attention to Rohitha Priyadarshana, who, after going to Nalanda College, Colombo, joined the Special Task Force of the Police Department in 1986.

Priyadarshana, who also had a natural talent for Cricket, was assigned to the Criminal Investigation Division of the Sapugaskanda Police Station in the Kelaniya Police Division in 1989.

He played a pivotal role in uncovering the underlying causes of numerous crimes, thefts, and other serious offenses within the Kelaniya Division.

The Commission Report meticulously details several key developments surrounding the disappearance of Rohitha Priyadarshana on or around February 20, 1990.

According to the findings of the Commission, Priyadarshana performed his duties with distinction while serving at the Sapugaskanda Police Station, and he refrained from considering political affiliations when arresting suspects.

The Batalanda Commission Report asserts that there is no evidence linking him to the attack on the Sapugaskanda Police Station.

In early February 1990, Rohitha Priyadarshana arrested Tudor Perera, the nephew of Sunil Perera, also known as Gonawala Sunil.

The Commission notes that Sunil Perera and his family were well-known activists and supporters of the then-ruling United National Party.

Sub-Inspector of Police Rohitha Priyadarshana, the OIC of the Criminal Investigation Division at the Sapugaskanda Police Station, mysteriously vanished on February 20, 1990.

On February 20, then-Police Inspector Keerthi Athapattu, who was the OIC of the Sapugaskanda Police Station, left to attend a meeting at the Biyagama Village Hotel.

Later, around 8 PM, the OIC called Rohitha Priyadarshana, instructing him to come to the Biyagama Village Hotel.

Rohitha Priyadarshana went to the Biyagama Village Hotel that evening, but he never returned to the Sapugaskanda Police Station or his home.

Surprisingly, the police made little effort to investigate his disappearance properly.

The Commission Report reveals that police in Kelaniya refused to acknowledge that Priyadarshana had been murdered.

The Batalanda Commission unequivocally states that instead of conducting a thorough investigation, a deliberate cover-up campaign was initiated.

The report concludes that the decision to issue a statement claiming that Rohitha Priyadarshana had "abandoned his post" was part of this cover-up, designed to imply that his disappearance was voluntary.

In line with this narrative, a suspect named Kaduruwahenage Jinadasa sought to suggest that Rohitha Priyadarshana had disappeared out of fear of revealing information that could implicate him.

The Commission affirms that the official account of Priyadarshana's disappearance is entirely false.

The findings also implicate Assistant Superintendent of Police Keerthi Athapattu as being directly involved in Priyadarshana's disappearance.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Merrill Gunaratne, Senior Superintendent of Police Nalin Delgoda, and Assistant Superintendent of Police Raja Dias are criticized for their failure to take appropriate legal action regarding the disappearance.

The Commission also asserts that Assistant Superintendent of Police Douglas Peiris played an indirect role in the officer's disappearance.

Whose agenda was it to make disappear such officers, who served selflessly for the betterment of the country, regardless of political connections, in their pursuit of justice?

What was being concealed by suppressing the investigations?

Shouldn’t there be a comprehensive investigation into such heinous acts, and shouldn't justice be served?

More details from the Commission's findings will be revealed tomorrow.